MEMBERS OF THE SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SAC)

 

The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) is composed of ten members elected by the CoP. These members are scientists recognized internationally for their expertise in a variety of disciplines relevant to global change research.

As the main scientific advisory body of the IAI, it makes recommendations to the Conference of the Parties regarding the Science Agenda, long-range plans and annual program of the Institute. The SAC also leads the peer-review system for scientific proposals and results of IAI funded programs.

(See past SAC members here)

SAC rules: Spanish - English

Current composition of the SAC

Omar Ramsés López Alfano (Chair)
Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENACYT) de Panamá
 
Area of expertise: plant physiological ecology, ecophysiology, tropical ecology, alien species, tropical forests.
Appointment: 2021-2024 (Parties)

Pedro Laterra
Fundación Bariloche
Principal Investigator at National Council for Technology and Science Research (CONICET).

Area of expertise: Landscape ecology, ecosystem services, agriculture, governance.
Appointment: 2023-2026 (Parties)

Anahi Urquiza Gómez
Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Chile
 
Area of expertise: Sociology, resilience, poverty and energy transitions, anthropology and development, environment and society.
Appointment: 2021-2024 (Parties)

Inés Camilloni
Universidad de Buenos Aires
Department of Atmosphere and Ocean Sciences (FCEN-UBA)
Sea and Atmosphere Research Centre (UBA/CONICET)
UMI-IFAECI/CNRS-CONICET-UBA

Area of expertise: Climate change and variability, air quality.
Appointment: 2020-2023, 2023-2026 (Parties)

Alexander Turra
Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo
UNESCO Chair on Ocean Sustainability 
Laboratory of Management, Ecology and Marine Conservation, Oceanographic Institute. Research Group on Environment and Society, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of São Paulo.

Area of expertise: Marine Ecology and Coastal Management.
Appointment: 2020-2023, 2023-2026 (SAC)

Michelle Scobie
Institute of International Relations, University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago
Lecturer, International Law, Global Environmental Governance

Area of expertise: International law and environmental governance, tourism, climate, biodiversity.
Appointment: 2022-2025 (SAC)

Mercy J. Borbor
Facultad de Ingeniería Marítima y Ciencias del Mar FIMCM, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral
Associate Professor

Area of expertise: Coastal marine resources, climate, health, risk management, urban ecology.
Appointment: 2021-2024 (SAC)

Mariana Meerhoff Scaffo (alternate member / miembro suplente)
Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República
 
Area of expertise: Ecology and water quality in shallow lakes and streams; trophic interactions, effects of climate warming, and other global changes on freshwater 
Appointment: 2018-2021 (Parties)
Alternate: 2021-2024
 

Jeniffer Silva
The Bridge Biofoundry
Co-founder, CTO & Director of Guatemala country

Area of expertise: plant biotechnology
Appointment: 2022-2025 (Parties)

Barry Warner
University of Waterloo
Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Area of expertise: wetlands ecosystem services, wetland technology for water
quality improvement, landscape rehabilitation.
Appointment: 2022-2025 (Parties)

 

 

Alexandra Mallett (alternate member / miembro suplente)
Carleton University
Associate Professor and the Graduate Supervisor for Master of Arts (MA) program in Sustainable Energy (Policy)

Area of expertise: design, implementation and evaluation of public policies on sustainable energy, environment and natural resources.
Appointment: 2022-2025 (Parties)

Laura Ramajo (alternate member / miembro suplente)
Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia (CR2) / Center for Climate Science and Resilience (CR2)
Associate Researcher

Área of expertise: Climate change risk and adaptation.
Appointment: 2023-2026 (Parties)

MEMBERS OF THE SCIENCE-POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SPAC)

 

The SPAC was established by the CoP in 2013 to provide advice to the CoP and the IAI Directorate regarding the application and design of science in policy and decision making

(Past SPAC members here)

SPAC rules: English - Spanish

Current composition of the SPAC

Carlos Joly
Universidad de Campinas
Emeritus Professor of Plant Ecology at the University of Campinas/UNICAMP

Area of expertise: Biodiversity conservation, plant ecology, ecosystem services.
Appointment: 2023-2026 (Parties)

Gilma Mantilla
Columbia University. New York
Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education

Area of expertise: Public Health, Climate Change, Epidemiology, Public Policies, Climate Health Education.
Appointment: 2023-2026 (Parties)

Inty Arcos
Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecoregion Andina. (CONDESAN) y Fundación Imaymana
Asesor en gobernanza ambiental, y manejo de cuencas hídricas en la Mancomunidad del Chocó Andino, Director Bosque Modelo del Chocó Andino, Ecuador.

Area of expertise: Ecological Restoration at Landscape Scale, Sustainable Land and Water Management.
Appointment: 2023-2026 (Parties)

David Smith
University of the West Indies, Jamaica
Director of the Centre for Environmental Management
Coordinator of the Institute for Sustainable Development

Area of expertise: ecology, climate change, sustainable development, disaster risk management, small island developing states.
Appointment: 2020-2023, 2023-2026 (Parties)

Margot Hurlbert
University of Regina
Canada Research Chair in Climate Change, Energy and Sustainability Policy; Professor, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy

Area of expertise: energy, natural resource, indigenous and environmental issues.
Appointment: 2022-2025 (Parties)

Nathalie Flores (alternate member / miembro suplente)
Secretaría General Iberoamericana (SEGIB)
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dominican Republic

Area of expertise: International public policy on climate change policy, international development and environmental issues
Appointment: 2022-2025 (Parties)

Carol Franco
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
Senior Research Associate
Advisor: Nature-based Solutions, Ministry of Environment of the Dominican Republic

Area of experience: Ecosystem services, food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation policies, climate change negotiations (UNFCCC)
Appointment: 2022-2025 (SPAC)

María Amparo Martínez Arroyo
Instituto de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y Cambio Climático, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
 
Area of expertise: marine biology, climate change, interdisciplinarity
Appointment: 2022-2025 (SPAC)

Jorge Rucks (alternate member / miembro suplente)
CAF-GEF
Support consultant of high competence and expertise for project supervision

Area of expertise: public policies, land use planning, technichal cooperation for sustainable development promotion, watersheds. 
Appointment: 2022-2025 (SPAC)